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<title>Fate's Crystal Majesty Drabbles and Alternate Scenes by Ryan_Shepard_Writes</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24965599">Fate's Crystal Majesty Drabbles and Alternate Scenes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryan_Shepard_Writes/pseuds/Ryan_Shepard_Writes'>Ryan_Shepard_Writes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fate's Crystal Majesty, Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:56:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24965599</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryan_Shepard_Writes/pseuds/Ryan_Shepard_Writes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A place for me to upload unfinished/alternate/sneak peek scenes from my book, Fate's Crystal Majesty!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fate's Crystal Majesty Drabbles and Alternate Scenes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"The rain is...safe?"</p><p>If the prince hadn't known her so well, inside and out, he might have thought she was joking. Instead, Keir was somewhat concerned.</p><p>"Yes, Miss Lilly. It's very much safe- though it might be a bit chilly for you. Should it not be?"</p><p>The girl fidgeted, and he stepped closer. She began to relax, and then sighed, staring longingly out the window.</p><p>"Because of all the sulfur and such in the atmosphere, the rain's very… acidic. It blisters skin on contact. We're lucky that it doesn't seem to bother the trees we live under too much, but when the rain leaks through… it burns everything but the grass and metal."</p><p>
  <i>Oh.</i>
</p><p>The young wolf smiled softly, gently petting her hair. "Well… given what has happened to the planet, I don't doubt you. But here, let me show you." He said, taking her hand before carefully leading her to and through the door. He knew from experience, at this point, that she wouldn't fully believe him until she saw things with her own eyes. "Watch my hand."</p><p>She squeaked under her breath as, upon reaching the door and stepping out onto the porch, Keir stuck his arm out from under the cover of the awning. Concern faded away quickly from her face, transforming into wonder as the rain spattered off and against him like water from a kitchen sink.</p><p>"You see, Miss Lilly?" The raven-haired Rorvan Prince said, bringing his hand back under and offering it to her for inspection. "Perfectly safe. It's even fairly warm."</p><p>The girl hesitated a moment, then gently touched Keir's hand, and then his forearm. She carefully traced her pale fingers along the wet trails left behind on his darker, copper skin, grinning ear-to-ear.</p><p>"I can barely believe it… <i>real</i> rain…" she murmured, coming to the end of the drip-trails. The smile she flashed him was almost childlike with wonder, and he was shocked speechless as she curtsied to him. "Forgive me, my Prince, but I must leave your side for a moment!"</p><p>Before he could react, or even register what she might be doing, he watched as his human dashed into the small storm. She laughed, fully and musically, as she ran several feet out into the yard, twirling and throwing her arms up into the air. As she spun and danced her skirts flared out around her, catching the droplets of water and darkening the soft pink of her dress…</p><p>It was the most beautiful sight his eyes had ever seen. Her happiness was like an enchantment, and he couldn't bring himself to look away. His feet moved without his permission. Suddenly he was standing before her, bowing deeply as she halted, a question in her eyes.</p><p>"My Lady, would you grace me with a dance?" He asked, using his best 'formal' voice, his heart soaring as she blushed and tried (and failed) to stifle a giggle.</p><p>"Always!" She said, fearlessly.</p><p>Keirul grinned, taking Lilly's hand and pulling her closer, gently moving with her into a simple dance.</p><p>They turned, spinning in the wet grass, swinging to the music of the world around them. As the rain pattered, and thunder rolled harmlessly in the distance, the prince led her safely around the lawn. From her mind, he felt peace, and from her soul, he swore he could feel euphoria. </p><p><b><i>Should I ask?</i></b> He wondered, gently lifting her. This earned him another round of giggles, and he couldn't help but laugh as he put her back down, playfully moving away,  his heart thrumming as she followed without hesitation.</p><p>
  <b>
    <i>Should I ask…</i>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <i>Ask what?</i>
</p><p>He stopped.</p><p>Did he just accidentally connect to her?</p><p>There was an obvious and resounding 'yes' in her eyes as she looked up at him quizzically. "Keir…?"</p><p>He felt heat crawl up around his ears, causing them to twitch atop his head, and realized that this must be what she felt like every time he flustered her. He knew his face was probably just as red as her's tended to get, and noted with a detached sense of intrigue that his throat was suddenly dry. Clinically and efficiently he noted the sudden changes around his body, feeling once again as though he was more of an outside observer than anything else.</p><p>Ah, the 'dissociation' was setting in. He could see what his brother meant now. He was brought back into himself though, if only just a little, as a soft hand touched his cheek.</p><p>"Keir, you're doing it again… what's wrong?"</p><p>He swallowed, trying to both stall and ease his discomfort. He was in the thick of it now, and lying would be meaningless.</p><p>"I apologize. I had not meant to open a connection just then… is there a way I can convince you to ignore it?"</p><p>"Hardly. What did you want to ask?"</p><p>Thunder rolled again, ominous and threatening now, rather than just a distant drumline. He swallowed again.</p><p>"I…" he started, stopped, and sighed. His grip on her loosened, so that he would not accidentally hamper her if she decided to run from him. He couldn't begrudge her that freedom.</p><p>"Keir…? Please, you're actually starting to worry me."</p><p>With that, an anxious spike rose up his throat, shoving the words out, disjointed and fretful.</p><p>"Marry me?"</p><p>She froze, and he decided he should elaborate while he had the chance. Or at least attempt to soften the request- he did not ever want her to think that was an order.</p><p>"Please, my Lady, would you ever consider marrying me? I understand that we are different, and that sometimes you fear  the thing that makes us so different… but…" he swallowed gain. Why did this seem so hopeless, suddenly? He felt himself sink to his knees, his hands moving to hers. He felt like a man kneeling before Fate herself. "But my… Lilly. Lilly. My sweet, fragile, powerful, gorgeous little flower… Lilly. <i>I love you</i>. I keep trying to quell this feeling. I keep trying to fight back and let you be. I keep trying to convince myself, trying to make myself acknowledge that you might not want this world, or me. But I can't…" this time when he swallowed, he felt a lump rise up his throat. "I can't <i>help myself</i>."</p><p>He took a ragged breath, staring at their hands- still intertwined, in spite of everything. She did not move to flee, so he continued. "Maybe I'm a desperate fool. Maybe my heart is rushing this along, because I am so scared of losing what happiness you bring me. It's only been weeks, and yet I have the nerve to ask this of you… I once said that I would give my life for you… but Lilly, I also want you to know that I would gladly give it <i>to</i> you. You are my treasure. You are my… my <i>salvation</i>. You make me feel again, when I thought, and was long ago told, that I am dead on the inside. <i>I love you</i>. You gave me back my soul. You awoke my heart. I've fallen in love with you… so please. <i>Please</i>. Please consider marrying me someday. I would give you this world, and any other thing you ask. I would even work to save yours. Just… just please consider… un...unless you have another. Then we can forget this happened, and I will never speak of it again."</p><p>His words finally ran out, but he could not move. He could not breathe. His eyes closed so that he did not have to face what he'd just done. He knew she was the one- knew it almost from the start. He knew that he would be hard pressed to ever find another… And Rorvae, with very few exceptions, like his Fate-hounded father, mated for life.</p><p>But it was not so for humans. And she should always have the choice to say no.</p><p>"There was another, once… but he's been dead a long time. And even if he wasn't, he would never have really meant enough to me for me to say no to you."</p><p>Keirul was a statue. What did she mean? What was she saying? What was she <i>feeling</i>? He fumbled for their connection, but was too raw to find it. He felt one of her hands leave his grasp, and started to despair… but then there was a gentle weight on his shoulder, and a more pressing one on his lips.</p>
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